The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-09-07

OQe Wont 10 open Llelf uoOr5 W Nla1bOI5.
SECRETARY BAYABD SPEAKS.
President Davis next introduced Score.
tary of State Bayard, who welcomed the
Congress TO Washington in an eloquent
address. He said in part: 1--WE welcome
this Congress as guardians of the santa
ton of the Nation. In your profession we
recognize the noblest school of human
usefulness, and in the progress of the de-
velopment of the laws of cure, the mitiga-
ton of suffering, the prolongation OF hu-
man existence, and the efforts to discover
the true principles and conditions by
which life can be made worth living, we
have learned TO appreciate our debt to
those whose highest reward is the still
small voice of gratitude and conscious
ness Of benefaction to the human race.
Gentlemen, / confidently promise your
convention a worthy audience-not alone
the members of your profession here as
sembled, nor the limited number whom
this building contains-but that vastsr
audience to whom upon the wings OF elec-
trical force, your message Will be daily
borne far and wide to the listening ear of
more than 10000 600 of American citi-
zens."
"Sure am I that your message will be
worthy, and equally that your thoughtful
deliverances will be welcomed by a con-
tinent. The closer relations of mankind
which modern invention has induced, has
necessarily been accompanied by an in
creased dissemination of disease, and the
need is obvious of frequent international
conference, that, in the grand sweep of
scientific observations not discoveries, in
the healing art may be promptly at
tested and applied in counteraction. For
give me if, as one of the great army of pa
tients, humbly petition the profession
that in our deliberations that nature may
be allowed hearing when remedies are
proposed; that her Wis medicatriX may
not be omitted in computing the forces of
cure, and that science may be restricted as
often as possible to sounding the alGm for
nature to hasten, as she surely will, il per-
mitted, to the defence of the point as
sailed.
''My duty is very simple and 1 fear
have already overstepped its limit, forthere
was indeed little more for me to say than
to repeat the words of an ancient dame
whose cottage was close by the battlefield
of Waterloo, and being somewhat deaf,
and hearing the sound of the artillery
when the famous rounding was hardest,
thought she heard some one knocking at
her door, aud simply said: Come in
This may seem an unscientiic illustration
of auscultation and percussion, but you
need not make half the noise Of Yelling.
ton or Bonaparte, and l can assure you
that the American people Will hear you
and heartily say to you as do for them,
Come in"
The welcome was acknowledged aud re-
sponded to briefly by DR.. William Harris
Lloyd, Inspector General, r. N, in behalf
of Great Britain; DR.. Leon Laforie, OF
Paris, on behalf of France; Prof. P. G
Unns, of Hamburg, on the part OF Ger
many Senator M. Semmola, of Naples
for Italy, and Sir Charles Reyber, of St
Petersburg, representing the Government
of Russia. DR.. Unna spoke in German aud
Drs. Seminole and Latore in French.
PRESIDENT DAVIS ADDRESS.
President Davis having called one of the
vice-presidents to the chair, proceeded to
deliver his opening address. He said:
Gentlemen-It is my sad duty first to re-
mind you that death has removed from
among us one to whom more than to any
other we are indebted for the privilege of
having the ninth International Medical
Congress in America. One whose urbanity.
eIudition, valuable contributions to med
ical literature and eminence as teacher,
caused him, not only to be universally re-
garded the most influential teacher in all
the preparatory work, but also the one I'M
animously designed to preside over your
deliberations on this occasion. That one
was the late Prof. Austin Flint, of New
York, who was taken suddenly from his
earthly labors early in 1886, before the
work of preparation for this congress had
been half completed. The true nobility of
his private and professional character, his
eminent ability as teacher, and above all
the number and value of his contributions
to the literature and art of medicine had
caused him to be known and esteemed by
the profession in all countries. And as you
all remember, while the shock of his death
was fresh upon us our loss seemed well
nigh irreparable. But though he has taken
his'departure ripe in years and full OF hon.
ors, yet the influence of his excellent ex-
ample and his contributions to medical
science remain and will continue to exert
their beneficial influence through all the
generations TO come.
He thanked the congress for the honor
bestowed upon him, an honor that he APP
preciated as second to no other of a tenn
poral nature because it has been bestowed,
neither by conquest nor hereditary in
fuence, nor yet by partisan strife, bat by
the free expression of his hearers choice.
Addressing himself now more directly to
those who had left homes and loved ones
in other lands and encountered the fatigue
and danger OF travelling by sea and by land,
In the name of the mdical profession of
this country he welcomed them not only
to this beautiful city and the Hospitality Of
its citizens as had been so admirably done
already by the honorable representative of
Of the Government, who had just taken his
seat, but he cordially welcomed them to
the open arms and warm hearts of the
medical men of this whole country, in
whose name they were invited here three
years since, and whose representatives we're
now here, gathered from the East, the West,
the North, the South, as well as from the
rugged mountains and fertile valleys OF the
center to make good the promise implied
by that invitation.
He took great pleasure in greeting them
one and all as leading representatives. of
profession whose paramount object is the
lessening Of human suffering. Nay, more,
with profound reverence, he greeted them
as noble brotherhood, who in the prscti-
cal pursuit of that one grand object, recog-
nized no distinction of country, race or
creed, but bound up the wounds and as.
suaged the pairs of the rich and the poor,
ruler and ruled, christian and pagan, friend
and foe alike. With q common obi sct so
beneficent In its nature, and opportuni-
ties for its practical pursuit so universal, ii
was but natural that they should be found
searching for the most effectual means for
the accomplishment of the one object OF
lessening human suffering, in every field
OF nature and in every department OF
human knowledge. The time has been
when medical studies embraced little else
than the fanciful arbitrary dogmas of
few leading minds, each of which became
for the time the founder of sect or So